Cooperative Extension Service

United States Department of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, and County Governments Cooperating

Take It to the Bank

Services Offered in Banking

Laura Connerly, FCS Associate

Introduction
Banks have been around for centuries. The Medici bank was established in 1397 by the
powerful and wealthy Medici family of Florence.

In 1791, the first Bank of the United States was chartered, and Congress authorized it to
serve as the U.S. Treasury’s fiscal agent. It issued paper bank notes to simplify trade.

Banking’s main function remains as it has always been. Banks provide a place for people to
keep their money. Banks lend to people to buy homes and cars, to start and expand businesses,
to put their children through college and for countless other purposes. Banks are a big part of
our nation’s economy.

But, banking has changed in many ways through the years. Banks today offer a wider range
of products and services than ever before and deliver them faster and more efficiently.

Target Audience
• EHC members

Objectives
This lesson will help participants:

• Learn about types of services offered by banks.

• Utilize consumer decision making skills to select bank services.

Advance Planning
You might want to visit a few banks in your area to see what types of services are offered in
your local community. The banks I visited when preparing this lesson are all in the central
Arkansas area. You should also read over the Teaching Points and Activities to gather any
materials and supplies you will need.

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender,
age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Teaching Points and Activities

• Welcome participants to training.

• Opening activity: (This activity gains attention, involves the audience and helps
participants begin focusing on the lesson topic. The discussion will also let you know what
areas of the lesson are least familiar to your audience and may need more attention in your
presentation.) Today, we are talking about banking. Let’s take a minute to think about the
services banks offer and what banks do for us. Write down ideas as you think of them. (Give
participants a minute or two to write down their thoughts. For a larger group, you might
want to use a flip chart or white board to record audience responses.) We will go around
the room asking that each person give only one response without repeating something that has
already been said. (The idea for this activity is that it is a fast-paced, information-sharing
session. You may continue this for a few minutes until all ideas are exhausted or until you
have given everyone a chance to respond. Keep it moving. This is a warm-up activity.
Allow time for everyone to share but beware of moving away from the task and subject at
hand. Limit this activity to a few minutes and allow plenty of time for the main content of
your lesson.)

• Use the Introduction on page 1 of this training guide.

• Continue the lesson using the Take It to the Bank script as a guide. You may use the
PowerPoint presentation to help you present the main points.

• Closing activity: (This activity allows participants to apply consumer decision making skills
to what you have discussed. Participants will rank four banking choices for a given
scenario. Participant responses can also be used as part of the lesson evaluation.) Let’s look
at one consumer’s banking choices and four options. Read the situation and the bank choices.
On the Participant Response Form, rank the choices from best to least favorable option.
(Handout with the scenario and options is provided. You will need to make copies for
participants. You might read aloud the scenario and choices. Give audience about 10 to
15 minutes to consider and make decisions about the consumer situation. After allowing
time for the audience to make their decisions, review the scenario. Present the options
from best to least favorable choice. Allow audience discussion of why the choices are
favorable or unfavorable.)

• Evaluate: (A Participant Response Form is available for your use in evaluating this lesson
if you choose to do so.) Please complete the remaining questions on the Participant
Response Form. Return sheets to county Extension agent.

Lesson Materials
• Leader Training Guide
• Take It to the Bank Script
• PowerPoint
• Consumer Scenario Handout
• Participant Response Form

2
Reporting in Aims – For County Extension Agents only:
Benchmarks have been provided for you to enter evaluation data from the Participant Response
Sheet in AIMS, if you would like to do so. Report evaluation results to the “Family Resource”
area under “Goal #1, Objective #1.”

• Evaluation question – As a result of this program, has your knowledge of banking services
increased?
Benchmark measurement – Number of participants who report increased knowledge about
banking services.

• Evaluation question – Do you plan to use the information about banking that you learned
in this program to make consumer decisions in the future?
Benchmark measurement – Number of participants who report plans to use information
about banking to make consumer decisions.

• Evaluation question – Please rank the four options presented in the Banking Options for
the Consumer Scenario by writing the number of the option you think is most favorable
to least favorable.
Benchmark measurement – Number of participants who demonstrate consumer decision
making skills by selecting appropriate banking services. In the consumer scenario, the
correct response is: Most Favorable – Option 2, Bank B; Second Most Favorable –
Option 1, Bank A; Third Most Favorable – Option 3, Bank C; Least Favorable –
Option 4, Bank D.

References
1. Banking Basics Leader’s Guide, MONEY WI$E A Consumer Action Publication, 2002
2. Arvest Bank, www.arvest.com
3. Bank of America, www.bankofamerica.com
4. Bank of the Ozarks, www.bankozarks.com
5. US Bank, www.usbank.com
6. Electronic Banking, FTC Facts for Consumers, Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of

Consumer Protection, Office of Consumer and Business Education, 2003

7. Consumer Guide to Check 21 and Substitute Checks, The Federal Reserve Board,

www.federalreserve.gov

8. Practical Money Skills for Consumers, Banking Services, www.practicalmoneyskills.com

9. How to Choose Which Bank or Credit Union Is Right for You, Massachusetts Division of
Banks, www.mass.gov
10. Banking Basics: Checking Account Check List, Community Service Center for the

Disabled, 1993

11. Selecting Banking Institutions and Services, Fact Sheet 302, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Maryland
12. CNN Money 101, www.cnn.com
13. About Banks, U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov
14. A History of Banking, Royal Bank of Scotland, www.rbs.co.uk
15. Money Facts and History, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and

Printing, www.moneyfactory.com